TRANSCRIPT
- Anthony Albanese says tomorrow night's budget will be one for Australia's future.
- Crisis talks between universities and the federal government over international student numbers.
- And in rugby league, allegations of racist abuse from a spectator towards two star Indigenous players.
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is touting tomorrow night's federal budget as one that sets up Australia's future.
Addressing Labor Party colleagues in the party room at Parliament House in Canberra, Mr Albanese says this budget will strike the right balance between providing things that are needed now, like cost-of-living relief for Australians, and longer-term measures.
He says the government is using Australia's natural advantages to benefit Australians in years to come.
"What does our economy look like in five, ten, twenty years? The decisions that we make this decade will set Australia up for the decades ahead. And our most important resource, of course is our people. And we'll be investing in them to make sure that they can seize these opportunities. Making sure that we are well-positioned to take advantage of where we are in 2024."
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Unions say the pay rises they are pushing for, especially in industries with largely female workforces, won't reverse an improved situation regarding inflation.
The federal government has released more optimistic inflation forecasts from the Treasury Department ahead of tomorrow night's federal budget.
They show inflation getting down to 2.75 per cent by the middle of next year- back within the Reserve Bank's target band.
It has previously been thought inflation wouldn't get that low again until the end of next year.
Unions have been pushing for pay rises of up to nine per cent in female-majority industries such as childcare.
The President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Michele O'Neil, says pay rises aren't the cause of the inflation that has plagued the economy lately.
"It's very clear that wages are making no contribution to inflation. In fact, what we've seen, and what is clear across all reputable economists, that what's been driving inflation before it started to come down was the supply chain issues, but also price gouging. What we know is that wage increases are good for the economy. because, if workers have got money in their pocket to spend, then that actually helps business. it helps small business. It builds confidence in the economy. It builds jobs in the economy."
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Universities are holding crisis talks with the federal government over proposed new laws that could cap the number of places for international students.
Universities are concerned capping the number of foreign students could severely damage their business plans.
They say they've had to become so financially-reliant on foreign students because the government has not been adequately funding universities.
There were 671,000 international students in Australia in March.
Whilst education is Australia's fourth-largest export, there is also concern large numbers of international students are putting pressure on what is already a difficult housing market.
Independent Senator David Pocock says there has to be a trade-off.
"Addressing funding for universities is critical. At the same time, having a conversation about immigration, given our current housing crisis, is important. So, if they're going to cap international student numbers, there has to be investment in research. Because what we do know is that universities are having to increase international student numbers to cross-subsidise research."
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The National Rugby league is investigating claims of racist abuse towards South Sydney Indigenous stars Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker.
A fan who attended last Saturday's match at Kogarah Oval in Sydney between South Sydney Rabbitohs and the St George Illawarra Dragons has informed the league that he saw a man repeatedly engage in the racist abuse.
He claims the man was able to leave the ground without being accosted by security.
South Sydney say the players concerned did not hear the comments.
It's not the first time Mitchell has been targeted by spectators in this fashion.
A teenager was banned from attending matches, and received a formal warning from police, after an incident in a game against Penrith last year.
